Microplastics have emerged as one of the most ubiquitous global pollutants and can enter the marine food web either via direct consumption or by trophic transfer by consuming animals that have taken up microplastics. Researchers from the University of British Columbia worked closely with the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards and the K’ómoks Guardian Watchmen in 2019 to establish a baseline of microplastic concentration and composition in and around Baynes Sound and to estimate microplastic consumption and uptake by zooplankton, larval herring, and juvenile herring.

The fortunate increase of Humpbacks along BC’s coast is a game changer for vessels of all sizes. It is essential for boaters to know how unpredictable Humpbacks can be. They are often oblivious of boats and do not have the biosonar/echolocation of toothed whales like Orca. They can suddenly surface after long dives and are often moving in unpredictable patterns whereby, if it is assumed that they are travelling in a straight line, risk of collision is increased. The preliminary results of MERS research also indicate how severe a threat entanglement is with ~50% of the Humpback Whales having scarring from entanglement. These are the survivors. Most whales who die from collision or entanglement sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host an online lecture by Dan Strickland. The lecture entitled “2020 Update on Paradise Meadows Canada Jay Research” is on Sunday September 20, 2020, 7:00 – 9:00pm.